StateRates

Buffalo-Cheektowaga salaries

The median worker in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area earned $50,190 a year in 2024, about $24.13 an hour. That ranks #72 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1.4% above the national median.

New York

Median pay $50,190 $24.13 per hour
Vs national +1.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 531,990 wage and salary
Metro rank #72 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays 14.3% less than New York as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +3.6% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +42.6% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Buffalo-Cheektowaga.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Word Processors and Typists 10.4× 1,290 $45,960
School Bus Monitors 4.9× 1,220 $35,060
Bill and Account Collectors 3.9× 2,220 $39,200
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 3.16× 590 $56,670
Biological Technicians 3.04× 800 $60,620
Cargo and Freight Agents 2.76× 930 $43,710
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 2.48× 2,240 $40,670
Highway Maintenance Workers 2.41× 1,260 $49,920
Couriers and Messengers 2.37× 590 $37,460
Bus Drivers, School 2.26× 3,030 $51,520
Physician Assistants 2.24× 1,200 $120,910
Detectives and Criminal Investigators 2.18× 830 $96,040

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
General Internal Medicine Physicians $229,040 $110.12 440
Chief Executives $204,360 $98.25 360
Computer and Information Systems Managers $166,900 $80.24 1,500
Architectural and Engineering Managers $163,140 $78.44 610
Financial Managers $162,660 $78.20 2,530
Pediatricians, General $161,230 $77.51 220
Sales Managers $159,870 $76.86 1,280
Dentists, General $148,700 $71.49 450
Human Resources Managers $139,400 $67.02 600
Marketing Managers $138,470 $66.57 1,230
Purchasing Managers $137,980 $66.34 280
Pharmacists $135,410 $65.10 1,580
Nurse Practitioners $133,430 $64.15 1,300
Managers, All Other $133,180 $64.03 860
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $131,910 $63.42 380
Computer Network Architects $129,390 $62.21 480
Software Developers $128,780 $61.91 3,720
Medical and Health Services Managers $128,330 $61.70 1,400
Veterinarians $128,220 $61.65 200
Construction Managers $125,280 $60.23 250
Industrial Production Managers $124,110 $59.67 790
Physician Assistants $120,910 $58.13 1,200
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $116,400 n/a 340
Information Security Analysts $115,120 $55.35 350
Personal Financial Advisors $112,120 $53.90 690
Lawyers $111,570 $53.64 2,710
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $110,170 n/a 950
Administrative Services Managers $107,710 $51.79 580
Facilities Managers $105,500 $50.72 450
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $105,450 $50.70 400
Electrical Engineers $101,760 $48.92 540
Industrial Engineers $101,620 $48.86 1,770
Computer Occupations, All Other $101,540 $48.82 660
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $100,870 $48.50 490
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $100,810 $48.47 430
Project Management Specialists $100,550 $48.34 2,920
Credit Analysts $100,420 $48.28 410
Computer Systems Analysts $100,310 $48.23 1,070
Financial Risk Specialists $99,600 $47.88 480
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $99,460 $47.82 810
General and Operations Managers $99,290 $47.74 12,210
Labor Relations Specialists $99,150 $47.67 490
Financial Examiners $98,440 $47.33 440
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $98,170 $47.20 310
Physicians, All Other $97,960 $47.10 1,720
Engineers, All Other $97,690 $46.97 380
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $97,410 n/a 1,090
Data Scientists $97,150 $46.71 630
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $97,030 $46.65 300
Web and Digital Interface Designers $97,010 $46.64 560
Mechanical Engineers $96,890 $46.58 780
Civil Engineers $96,690 $46.49 960
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $96,040 $46.17 830
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $95,870 $46.09 380
Business Teachers, Postsecondary $95,800 n/a 440
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $95,500 $45.91 330
Registered Nurses $95,380 $45.86 13,870
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $95,290 $45.81 250
Environmental Engineers $94,940 $45.65 210
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary $94,080 n/a 240

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Buffalo-Cheektowaga by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 16,490 $35,600 $17.12
Retail Salespersons 14,660 $34,250 $16.47
Fast Food and Counter Workers 14,200 $34,240 $16.46
Registered Nurses 13,870 $95,380 $45.86
General and Operations Managers 12,210 $99,290 $47.74
Cashiers 11,600 $31,660 $15.22
Customer Service Representatives 10,140 $45,770 $22.01
Stockers and Order Fillers 10,030 $37,360 $17.96
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 8,900 $35,980 $17.30
Waiters and Waitresses 8,260 $46,820 $22.51
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 7,750 $34,350 n/a
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 7,270 $41,270 $19.84
Office Clerks, General 6,520 $44,260 $21.28
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 6,360 $46,700 $22.45
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 6,350 $76,320 n/a
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 6,340 $48,600 $23.36
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 5,580 $50,320 $24.19
Accountants and Auditors 5,130 $80,240 $38.58
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 4,710 $57,380 $27.59
Nursing Assistants 4,680 $38,940 $18.72

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other New York metro areas

Buffalo-Cheektowaga pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?

The median across all occupations is $50,190, or $24.13 an hour, covering 531,990 wage and salary workers. The mean is $65,600, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Buffalo-Cheektowaga pay more than the rest of New York?

No. The metro median of $50,190 is 14.3% below the New York median of $58,560. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?

General Internal Medicine Physicians ($229,040), Chief Executives ($204,360), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($166,900). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Buffalo-Cheektowaga unusually full of?

Word Processors and Typists, at 10.4× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.